POLICE have released an e-fit image of a man they are tracing after a woman was punched in the face "several times" while in her car.

The woman, in her 20s, had slowed to stop in queuing traffic at the junction for West Road and Arisdale Avenue in South Ockendon on Wednesday, July 2.

A man, who had been travelling in the car behind, came up to the woman's white Land Rover and attacked her.

The shocked woman was left with minor injuries. The attacker returned to the vehicle he had been travelling in as a passenger and sped off towards the M25.

CCTV is being reviewed. It is unclear at this stage what the motive was behind the attack - which occurred at around 9.30am.

Now detectives have released an E-fit of a man they wish to identify and are urging anyone with information to contact them at Grays police station by calling 101.